A Blade of Ash
by newepicnaute
Summary: Burning. The first thing I remember is the burning. Like a hand grasping a hot coal, I recoiled, then felt empty, I could sense the fire fading, fleeing away, so I reached after it. Unknowing of who I was, where I was, or even what I was, and so it is, that ash seeketh embers. (this story is a work in progress, any feedback or constructive criticism is appreciated thank you)


**Chapter One: The**

 **Woman in Black Robes**

Burning. The first thing I remember is the burning. Like a hand grasping a hot coal, I recoiled, then felt empty, I could sense the fire fading, fleeing away, so I reached after it. Unknowing of who I was, where I was, or even what I was, and so it is, that ash seeketh embers.

My hand expelled from the ash that buried me, I knew not why I thrust my hand out of my complacent tomb, but when I felt the rush of wind upon my withered hand curiosity annulled caution. and so I began digging, my once lethargic frame now overcome with intrigue. Afore long I felt the dim sunlight upon my face, and I was at once now awoken to the grimm vigil that surrounded me. Gravestones adorned the field and the whole valley was coated in ash. After what seemed like hours, or maybe seconds, I couldn't tell, I was on my feet, confused and scared, yet still steadfast and confident, as if I had a secret purpose only I knew of. I looked at my hands, they were covered in ash yet I sensed an irregularity, one hand retained five fingers the other a mere four. My brow furrowed at this strange insight, and I lowered my gaze to the forearm of the aforementioned appendage, and I saw an exquisite piece of antiquity. It's outer shell was made of a strange metal, dark and lightweight, adorned with markings of a wolf, and upon the underside of the gauntlet was a blade, once again manufactured with dark metal sharpened to a razors edge, it was adorned with marking of which I could not read. But It stunk of something dark ... and calm. My armor was simple in it's silhouette and complex in it's design, I saw a leather jerkin, stitched and torn in many places and adorned with silver metal plates, upon my shoulders, elbows, hips and knees as well as lining my chest, overlapping and crossing like the scales of some mad beast. My boots ended right before my knees and fit my slender frame well, finally, upon my shoulders draped a thick mantle, deep blue and scathed with blood and a blackish ooze. This same stained cloth was also visible on my waist, only this set of cloth ended at my calfs and danced in the wind. Upon my mantle was a stiff hood, a leather collar inside it with a string hanging out.. I tied the string together causing the collar to tighten and obscure my made me feel … calm, and relaxed, like I was prepared for a daily routine. As I began looking around for whatever odd trinket I was reaching for I saw a longsword, its blade submerged in the ground, surally such a prize of craftsmanship must mean something to who I was, or am I should say/ I plucked it out and frowned, it was rusted and thin, surely not what I wanted, but it's minimal protection will have to see me through if only for but a moment.

I heard a foul weeping coming from my right, I looked out into the cemetery before me and saw many cloaked beings sitting helplessly on the ground i began walking over to it slowly, each of my feet sinking into the ashen coated ground beneath me. I made no sound as I walked, and did so half-knowingly, as though it was ingrained into my mind to walk like shadow. As I neared the writhing being, I looked at its face, It was rotting and pelling, with skin of deep red and it's eyes, completely black, met mine. It stopped for a second, and gazed into my eyes, they say the eyes are the windows to the souls of beings, and in this things soul, I first saw a hopelessness, but this was a fleeting despair, and was soon replaced by an endless hunger. He lurched forth at me and as if on it's own I raised my hand, pulling up the poorly constituted sword and placing the point between me and the foe before me. There was no blood when the sword penetrated his heart, only the serenity of a forlorn soul finding its peace. As he fell upon me I quickly brushed him off,sheathing my sword as I did so. I felt as if I should feel remorse for the life I had taken, but there was none to be found. The only sense was that of weeping, but not the same as before, before it was a hopeless cry, a spectral wailing signaling a soul past redemption, this was the type of cry that was only ever found by a soul with hope intact, though soon to be gone. I stood still and listened intently, through my focus I began to ascend my senses. As quickly as this innovation came, it soon fled and I was left, just as confused as before, my mind was in shambles, a back and forth of new information arose, and I didn;t know what to do, I stumbled back into a boulder and slid to the ground. As I sat I lifted my hands to my head and buried my face in them. I cut myself from the outside world and closed my eyes.

"Who am I?" I said, aloud, to no one in particular. My voice suprised me, it was softed and hushed, but coarse and tired as well. As I sat there, I began to notice a silence, one I hadn't noticed before, the weeping was gone, and no stood a calm silence. I opened my eyes and before me stood a figure, slender and robed, it's face was covered, much like mine, only shrouded in a large hood, and expended from the hood was long braids, decorated with beads of black. As the silhouette lifted its face I saw pale skin, and gentle eyes of black. The features of the face seemed feminine in nature, and thus I was inclined to think the creature before me was indeed, a woman. As I recoiled back, she lead out a small hand, upon which stood a ring, large and contracting to her pale complexion, it was black, and upon it stood two gems, each one small and beautiful, guarding a small pearl, black and wispy, appearing to wring with smoke. The hand laid rest upon my shoulder, were I felt the echo of a gentle touch, and her faced was then lined with curiosity. Her lips, small and slender like the face they adorned, moved and she uttered. "Art thou not afeared of a loathed witch of londor?"

My face was stricken with more helpless curiosity, like a child stumbling upon some new trinket. She spoke again, "ah thou must be ashen, and lost all senses then. I am a horrifying beast, not fit for the company of any soul who's is not of my company." she stepped back and wrung her hands, turning away as if to spare me the sight of her. " begone then, thou art of ash and have a purpose to fulfil."

I stood up quickly, and stepped forward. " you know my purpose then, and my name? Do you know what I am?" I said beginning to walk toward her.

She backed up quickly "Thou art ash, and thy purpose is to link the flame." she began backing up as fear struck her eyes. "Please I know no more."

My curiosity overcame me and I lurched forward and grasped her arm. "Please maiden, tell me of where I came, and of who I am." she let out a cry and grasped something in her robes, as she pulled it out I saw a chime of sorts, a small bell with many markings surrounding it. Before another moment could pass, I felt the wind leave my lungs and my back hit the floor, as I lifted my head with blurred vision I saw the retreating woman running past, her bare feet kicking up ash as she fled. I picked myself up, realising my mistake and began to give chase. "WAIT!" I exclaimed, "please I need your help!" she turned a corner where I saw another cloaked being, it's skin too, rotten and tearing, lurch forward with a sickening growl. The maiden once again gripped her chime as I saw a scythe of pure dark cut throw the air… and the undignified cloaked man. She rounded a corner and I lost sight of her, after a few more minutes of running I saw several more dismembered rotten things lying about the ashen field

A cliff side veiw greeted me as I approached the trail of the woman. I saw many large boulders and a winding path between her and I and, in the distance a large colessem with one of it's massive stone walls long since crumbled into dust and down into the chasm below. I saw a familiar shrouded black figure enter, as I began to once again give chase I neared upon another cloaked man, as it began to stand up I instinctively flexed my left wrist, the apparatus on my arm activated and sent the blade sliding out into a new position, ripe for cutting. I jumped on the being and shoved my hand into it's rotted face. I felt the blade sink deeper into it's skull before the tip of it pierced the hood in the back of its head. I retracted the blade with a similar flick of the wrist as before and began to approach the entrance of the building. Inside I saw two figures, one a woman clad in black robes, the witch of whom I had given chase and the other far farther away,a massive hulking man with thick black armor and and a glaive, easily thrice the size of myself, in it's off hand. As I neared the entrance I saw her pull out a long stave and conjure forth a massive orb of bluish dark energy, I quickly side stepped and took cover by the corner of the entrance, and gazed as the orb accelerated and travelled into a nearby cliffside, bursting with dark energy. Just inside the building I heard the woman call out. "Please sir, I prithee thee take thy leave of this place and this fruitless intent to ask of me thyne name."

I knew rounding the corner would surely end in another wave of her dark fury, I looked up and saw above me a statue, holding a pike made completely of stone. I reached ahead and grasped the stone pike and began to pull myself up and over the wall, when I got to the top of the statue I saw a fallen brick for a handhold, about 7 feet above me and a mere inches from the top of the wall. I stood atop the head of the statue, balancing on the balls of my feet, took a deep breath, and jumped, reaching out my hand to grasp the brick above me. When I felt my fingers find purchase on the tip of the stone brick my resolve strengthened, and I pulled myself atop the wall with ease. As I stood there on the wall, I began to see the black plated demon shift it's movement. As close as I was I saw a coiled sword extruding out of it's chest, which it pulled out quickly and set aside. With fear in my eyes, I saw it stand up, nearing 12 feet tall, and pick up it's halberd. As silent as the grave, and with the witch too focused on the entrance to notice the hulking shadow behind her, I saw the being raise his glaive as if to strike the woman. In a moment of desperate abandon I felt my feet push off the wall, and I begane to jump, pulling out my sword as i descended towards the woman. When I fell atop her I pushed her and myself low to the ground and raised my sword to attempt to parry the oncoming strike, as our weapons clashed, I saw a flash of sparks, and many fling shards of metal splinter off my sword and felt a great force pull on my shoulder and my body lurch to the side, tumbling near the cliff but managing to catch myself before falling to what would ceartinly be my death. I looked down upon the sword in my hand, or what was left of it, I had shattered and split, causing only the very end of the blade to be present.

As the great black plated monster approached me I felt my stomach drop, and saw as round of 6 dark orbs of energy pelted the demon In it's face, causing it to stumble back and gaze upon the source of it's pain. There stood the witch, a bead of sweat tumbling off her face and a look of grimm determination upon her visage. As the guardian stood up and approached her I felt a rush of adrenaline. I threw what was left of my sword, merely clingling off his armor, but grabbing his attention nonetheless, I sprinted up to him, expending my hidden blade as I did so and severed one of his tendons on his ankle as he swung to meet me, then slide past him through his legs. As he once again dropped to the ground, I saw my opportunity. A chink in his back armor. I rushed forward and jumped onto his back and pierced the weakness with my blade. As I felt the blade penetrate, I saw a mass began to slither out from that very hole in his armor. I quickly jumped down as a massive arm of dark writhing flesh extruded out from his back, gaining size until it was nearly twice as big as he was. I felt the color leave my face, and saw the black clad maiden conjure a massive sword of darkness from her staff, and slash down upon the creature, I once again rushed forward and saw it move it;s shoulder, signaling it was upon to turn to strike me, I jumped prematurely waited for the glaive to strike, It began to swing low however and i turned my mistake into opportunity, I set my foot upon the massive shaft of the polearm and launched myself forward, reaching out my hand to grasp his arm. As soon as I did so I thrust my hand into the pit where it's arm met his terrible deformity and just as quickly swung my feet over and above, wrapping around its neck and giving me stability. I then proceeded to vigorously slash and stab into the back of its head, just bearly penetrating his black helmet, as he began to wail and attempt to shake me off I slide ove r to the front of his helmet and shoved my blade into the dark mass where his eye would be. An unearthly scream came forth and a shower of black blood spew from his injury on his face. I dug and twisted my blade as he began to fall to his knees his deformity retreating back into his armor. With one last fell swoop I lacerated where a neck should be and jumped off, as the massive creature fell upon the ground. Still and unmoving. I stood, there, my heart beating and chest pounding. I looked towards the witch and saw she too was exhausted. She walked over to me.

"I thank thee ashen one, for thy untimly rescue." she pulled a strand of hair that had stuck to her cheek from sweat. "I do not have the answers you seek, and I wonder why thou hast chosen to rescue a loathed creature such as myself" she backed from me once again and retreated into the shadows. "The way thou fights is befitting of a lord, and a squalid wretch hath no business in the company of lords"

I stepped forward "I am dazed, my lady" she flinches as the words leave my throat. "I do not know what this world is, or what I am. Please, if you could just explain to me a few things."

With great hesitation, I stepped forward and placed my hand on her shoulder, she looked at me, a look of anguish.

Carefully, she began to speak " thou art undead, as am I." I looked at her and gave a nod, taking in the new information. " long ago, the lord of sunlight Gwyn began an age of fire, in this age the Gods reined with great power and prospered for many, many years." she sat down upon a rock, and I too, took rest. "However, after the age of fire there was to be an age of dark, an age where man ruled over the Gods. as so as the fire faded, and man began to prepare for their age of dark, Gwyn, lord of sunlight, fearing this new age kindled the age of fire with his very soul, cursing man with the plague of undeath and ceasing the age of dark. Ever since that day, whenever the fire fades, a lord of cinder rose to link the fire once more and bring about a new age of fire. However, the lords have abandoned their duties. And so, the ashen ones arose." she looked up at me, with a look of slight disappointment and looked back down thou art ash, thou's purpose is to link the flame in the stead of the lords, and bring about a new age of fire." she shifted and looked out into the dimly lit sky. "Mine lady Yuria would have thee usurp the fire, and bring about a new age, an age of londor, where we rule over all."

she continued looking out into the sky and I continued looking into her eyes, now filled with more sad anguish. "And what would you have me do?" I said, the words escaped my mouth before I could stop them. She looked up at me with surprise. A look of confusion filled her face than after and she looked away from me.

" I would beseech thee follow my Lady's wishes" she said, thou the words were hollow and held no meaning. I noticed a glint in the corner of my vision, the coiled sword lay upon the ground, it's metal glowing slightly with heat. I walked over to the blade and touched it, drawn to the fire like a moth to flame. As I felt the hot steel a familiar burning overtook my body and I fell to one knee. After a mere second or so of intense burning I felt something odd. I no longer felt empty and alone. I felt whole again and as the witch touched my shoulder I felt the true warmth of her hand. And a fleeting memory began to run-over my mind...


End file.
